Dmitry Valerievich Potapenko- Entrepreneur, public figure. Conducts business in four countries of the world. Known for his public speeches, in which he opens the eyes of Russians to the economy in the country.
Citizenship: Russia
Date and place of birth: March 30, 1970, Moscow (Russia)
Education and academic degree:
has two MBA degrees; also graduated from the Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering, Electronics and Automation (Diploma "Engineer-Designer-Technologist")
Family and Children:
- Wife: Elena Potapenko - psychologist, family consultant, general director of the MAXIMUM Center;
- Daughter (oldest): Masha Gracheva - studied at a public school, winner of almost all All-Russian Olympiads in physics and mathematics. She entered the Moscow State University at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics without exams;
- Daughter (youngest): Natalya Potapenko - studies in a regular Moscow school.
Career:
- 1987 - graduated from school No. 714 in Moscow;
- 1987 - entered the Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering, Electronics and Automation;
- in 1992 he founded his first retail chain with Natashkyang Korotia Systems - these were Tusar electronics stores;
- 1993 - received a master's degree from MIREA with a degree in design engineer-technologist;
- in the 1990s, for a year and a half, Potapenko was a security guard, guarding the president of the Russian Credit Bank;
- 1995-2000 — Vice President for Sales and Marketing of Grundic GmbH in the Baltic States;
- 1998-2001 — General Director of OAO MEZ DSP, Vice President for Investment Development of PBK CreditImpexBank;
- 2001-2003 — Deputy Managing Director of the Logos group of companies, General Director of LLC Wholesale Centers;
- 2003-2005 — Manager of the Pyaterochka distribution network (Moscow and the Moscow Region);
- 2005 - present - Managing Partner of Management Development Group Inc. (brands Gastronomchik, Prodeko, Mark);
- 2016 - joined the federal political council of the Right Cause party.
Interests, hobbies:
loves bikes and sports cars;
professionally engaged in wrestling;
regularly goes to gym.
Quotes:
Biography
“A native Muscovite in the 4th generation, of which there are no more in Moscow,” grew up in a family far from business. He calls himself "the son of two GRU colonels." Until the 8th grade at school, he “went for some kind of medal,” then he “scored” to study, as he “became incurious.” “From the 3rd grade, I have been farce with chewing gum.”
In the 80s he went to receive a technical education at the Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering, Electronics and Automation. Studied badly. He passed higher mathematics twenty-one times, and programming eighteen times. But he successfully traded records.
Retelling his biography, Dmitry Potapenko says: “I myself am sometimes horrified, there are so many“ all kinds of things, green and red ”... Always, as far as I can remember, I was listed in socio-political organizations, I was a released secretary of the Komsomol cell, I have a lot of certificates, for example, an instructor drum fight. But at the same time, as a schoolboy, he farted with chewing gum, and as a student - with records in Stoleshnikovo.
In addition to the first commercial experience, at an early age he also acquired psychological impenetrability: “As a person who worked in a morgue and a casino, I learned not to react.” In his college years, Potapenko really got a job in the morgue, after which he was not afraid of the closed gaming club of the famous businessman Otari Kvantrishvili, where he even became a director. He says that he did not try to play himself, and explains: “I am a weakly gambling person. But that's not the point either. Player systems are a myth. There is a mechanical shuffling of cards, but the dealer's hand intervenes in the process, so you can understand the algorithm of his work and it all comes down to technology. But high concentration is required. In addition, the player's life is very sad. He is forced to adjust to the night mode of life, and I like to work during the day. That's why he went to sell equipment at Gorbushka. Across the row from me with his bells and whistles stood Zhenya Chichvarkin. You can write like this: “Gorbushka” gave them a start in life. Because back then it was the only free trade place.”
Sales were up. And Manhatan Ind. Corp (manufacturer of Grundig, AKAI goods, which were then sold by Potapenko) created a Moscow office. Dmitry was the only employee who got there from a distributor company. Then, at the corporate headquarters, they decided to leave the unstable Russian market, and Potapenko became the general director of the wood-shaving parts plant in Podrezkovo with a controlled territory of 40 thousand hectares, which he recalls without sentimentality: “An ordinary Soviet enterprise in a wildly neglected state. I received it in 1998 just before the crisis began. Initially, 1,500 people out of 2,500 had to be laid off. But the default had a beneficial effect on the domestic industry. We have launched the production of the plate. Then it was cheap and went to the West, to United Arab Emirates. When financial position improved, a conflict of shareholders began.
At that moment, the Logos holding, a Russian distributor of printed materials, appeared in his life. Potapenko headed the "Wholesale Center" and describes this work as follows: "There was no crisis, but it became necessary to open a lot outlets and to standardize existing ones - tents where old women and young people came to buy and resell publications.
Having increased sales, he relocated to management company"Logos" to the position of Deputy General Director, after leaving which he is still worried: "Dmitry Martynov, the owner of Logos, is a wonderful friend. His business has great prospects. I am monitoring the situation and I think that they can earn more by an order of magnitude.”
Then Potapenko was lured away by the founder of Pyaterochka Andrey Rogozin. “You can’t say that I had a desire to dump somewhere. But the market is a trading business. I did not see a single person who was promised better conditions, but he did not agree. Three things motivate - power, fame, money. When there is such a choice, how not to succumb? Andrei offered me to go to him seven times. I refused. The discussion went on for three months. Then agreed. At first I managed a year in St. Petersburg. For me, it is still a suburb of Moscow, I went there on Sunday, returned on Friday. Slept on the train. And now I perceive any transport as a place to sleep.
Now Potapenko has a business in Essentuki, Mineralnye Vody, Kislovodsk, Nizhnevartovsk, in other cities and even countries, so there are more trips. It turned out to be easier than at home to build networks in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. European inspections and officials do not shake when you comply with the established standards. Maybe that's why Dmitry wants the work in retail to be reduced to technology and norms.
Quotes by Potapenko
You will be imprisoned if your business [in Russia] likes a kid in uniform.
[Putin's] authorities have long been able to write on the facade of any public institution: “Yes, we are crazy, but what will you do to us?”
We [Russia] are only good at producing officials, it's a pity that no one takes them for export.
"MARKETING is the 'art' of selling what nobody fucking wants!"
“The task of accounting is to minimize taxation. She has no other task."
“Business is a lifestyle! The owner must control all processes: from mopping to the strategy itself.”
“Salary motivates by 30%, another 70% is the fear of losing it”
“Never give anything for free. Let it cost at least a ruble. Teach people to fill out a payment order, press a button ... But don’t teach them to take a freebie!”
“My family of 4 lives on 42,000 Russian rubles. I mostly take the subway to work - I can show you my pass. I don't like vacation because I don't know what to do there. So it all depends on the level of consumption and desires.”
“Let's try to explain to some Bill Gates that he will be regularly called to tax office and in a tedious tone to explain that there are industry averages for wages. And you wage does not match". August 31, 2015, commenting on the life of Russian business.
“Real estate becomes an asset only at the moment of its exchange for money”, everything else is concrete, scrap metal, etc. Concrete and metal cost nothing - it's dirt. For example, restaurant equipment is sold at a price of 1 kg = 1 ruble. Let me explain: it is second-hand, it is not rearranged anywhere, communications cannot be laid - and it really costs so much ”
“The government will prove that it is not to blame, it needs to find an enemy. Now the enemies for citizens are the world behind the scenes, the USA, Europe, and when external enemies run out, internal ones will appear - trade. Conventional retail trade is traditionally to blame for the rise in prices, it does not matter whether it is chain or non-chain retail. All - hucksters, speculators and traders! It has been implanted in consciousness for a hundred years.”
“In any confrontation, the authorities, the legislators will have a salary of 400 thousand rubles and a sandwich with caviar in the State Duma for 26 rubles. At the same time, he has an Audi A8 under his ass, a driver, a secretary, an office, his salary is almost net income. Today they can really experiment on citizens, like on rabbits. Absolute cynicism! I have already said not the first year, on any public institution you can hang a banner: “Yes, we went nuts, so what? And what will you do? You won't do anything!"
“Only one who knows how to make money in a galloping falling market can be called a businessman.”
Notes:
- he often admitted that with his wife and two children they live in Moscow on 42-45 thousand rubles a month;
- claims to be a native Muscovite in the fourth generation;
- in Moscow travels by metro more often than by car;
- twice world champion in karate, multiple champion of Moscow and Russia;
- Dmitry lives with his family in Moscow at 9 Akademika Anokhin Street (near the Yugo-Zapadnaya metro station);
- in his life he managed to work in a mortuary, a casino and a salesman of equipment at Gorbushka.
Potapenko's business:
The list of brands to which Dmitry Potapenko is directly related
| Brand | Description |
|---|---|
 | Management Development Group Inc. European company of operational management. Marketing, development and justification of the concept of shopping and entertainment complexes, architectural design, investment, construction, brokerage and subsequent trust management of the existing facility. The founder and managing partner is Dmitry Potapenko |
 | Gastronomchik - a chain of supermarkets in Russia |
 | Pyaterochka is a Russian discount grocery store chain. Company owned. Founded in the first half of 1998. |
 | The Logos group of companies was founded in 1991. Today it is the largest supplier of fabrics, accessories and sewing equipment in the Siberian region. The advantage of the Logos Group of Companies is a wide range of products that meet the current needs of manufacturers and trade organizations- these are materials for the production of clothing and interior items, garments for the home, accessories and goods for needlework, industrial and household sewing equipment. |
 | Karusel is a Russian hypermarket chain owned by X5 Retail Group. As of June 2013, the network unites 68 hypermarkets in more than 20 regions of Russia. |
What does Potapenko spend the money he earns on (monthly estimate):
Bibliography:
- despite the huge number of lectures, speeches and articles in specialized publications, so far Potapenko has not published a single book
media library
#gallery-1 ( margin: auto; ) #gallery-1 .gallery-item ( float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 25%; ) #gallery-1 img ( border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; ) #gallery-1 .gallery-caption ( margin-left: 0; ) /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
At home
#gallery-2 ( margin: auto; ) #gallery-2 .gallery-item ( float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 20%; ) #gallery-2 img ( border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; ) #gallery-2 .gallery-caption ( margin-left: 0; ) /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
May 22, 1993, Tonaka Tokinori confirmed 1st dan In the gym Photo before the Potapenko karate competition in the subway With a katana
In a biker suit On a bike
Dmitry Valerievich Potapenko — successful businessman, publicist, expert, his videos on YouTube are of great interest to the audience. Dmitry Potapenko is a senior partner of Management Development Group Inc, represented in such countries as the Russian Federation, Bulgaria, China, the Czech Republic and Belgium with many trade retail chains, manufacturing enterprises and restaurants, including Gastronomchik, ProdECO, Mark, HozMag, Planet Parade, Uno Pizza, ArtPrague. According to experts, the annual turnover of Potapenko's business exceeds $300 million.
Dmitry Potapenko, an adherent of domestic retail, a critic of the authorities for their attitude towards Russian business, became widely known after a vivid video at the Moscow Economic Forum in December 2015, Potapenko's quotes hit the news and spread across social networks. Dmitry Potapenko ran from the "Party of Growth" to the State Duma in 2016, but did not pass.
Childhood, education
Dmitry Potapenko was born on March 30, 1970 in Moscow. In Potapenko's biography on the Know Everything website, it is reported that Dmitry's parents worked in the GRU: according to him, he became the son of two colonels of the Main Intelligence Directorate.
AT primary school Dmitry studied well at school. But in the future, he ceased to show interest in learning. Potapenko also actively participated in the social life of the school. He was an active Komsomol organizer, attended all sorts of circles, was engaged in karate.
After graduating from school, Dmitry Potapenko entered the Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering, Electronics and Automation.
From his student years, Dmitry began to live independently. He managed to test himself in various kinds of activity - in his career there was work as an orderly in a morgue and a psychiatric hospital, and as a personal bodyguard of an oligarch Vitaly Malkin, he was even a security guard in the closed gaming club of a famous businessman Otara Kvantrishvili(killed in the 90s of the criminal authority). Dmitry Potapenko wrote about these stages of his career in his biography "An Honest Book on How to Do Business in Russia."
Business career
Potapenko took up commerce at a young age, when he resold chewing gum to his schoolmates.
“In the third grade, I was already fartseval chewing gum next to the Mozhaisky hotel. In the fifth grade, our five-meter kitchen was pasted over with inserts from chewing gum with Donalds - then it was a rarity, ”Potapenko himself recalled in his biography, noting that he did not dream of being a businessman, but was one.
Further, his commercial experience made itself felt in his student years, when Dmitry Potapenko sold at Gorbushka (a market in Filevsky Park near the DK im. Gorbunova) various audio, video and computer equipment.
Dmitry Potapenko early discovered the grip of an entrepreneur and already in 1989 he established CJSC Black Bars, which was engaged in unloading and loading, sealing interpanel seams and industrial mountaineering. It was during this period that Potapenko combined his studies at the institute with many other jobs, as an assistant pathologist, bodyguard and security guard.
In 1992, in partnership with Natashkyang Korotia Systems, which imports electronics to Russia, he created the Tusar chain of electronics stores.
After graduating from the institute in 1993, Dmitry worked for Grundig for five years in 1995. In this firm, an energetic young man made good progress in his career: starting from the position of a leading manager, Potapenko became deputy president.
Further, in the biography of Dmitry Potapenko, many different very prestigious positions appear. He was the general director of a wood-based materials plant in the Podrezkovo microdistrict, established the production and export of competitive chipboard, served as deputy head for investment cooperation at Creditimpex Bank, was deputy head of the Logos companies, in addition, Potapenko became the head of the company in 2001 " Wholesale centers.
In 2003, Dmitry Valeryevich headed the St. Petersburg and Moscow offices of the Pyaterochka retail chain.
In 2005, businessman Potapenko took one of the main positions in the Management Development Group. He developed networks retail, planning, organizing and stimulating work with an assessment of the result obtained and the definition of current trends.
“The main part of our business is food stores and inexpensive canteens that are at the forefront of demand: ProdECO, Gastronomchik, Orange, Merchants, Housekeeper, Restaurantchik Real Fish, Restaurantchik, Real Meat”, “Pizza Uno”, “Canteen No. 1”, canteens at enterprises and business centers. We earn not on a margin, but on the number of clients served, ”Dmitry Potapenko wrote in his biography about this stage of his business career.
Political activity
Dmitry Potapenko announced in February 2016 that he was going to join the leadership of the Just Cause party, which should be headed by a business ombudsman Boris Titov. The reason for entering politics, according to Potapenko's biography on Wikipedia, was the desire to "improve his work in helping entrepreneurs." In the 2016 State Duma elections, Potapenko ran for the Party of Growth in the 97th Kaliningrad single-mandate constituency (Kaliningrad region), but was not elected.
Dmitry Valeryevich was also included in the federal part of the federal list of the Party of Growth, which, following the results of the elections, did not overcome the five percent barrier to enter the State Duma.
Dmitry Potapenko is an expert at the Moscow Economic Forum. In 2015, Potapenko's speech at the Moscow Economic Forum aroused great interest, the video gained almost 300 thousand views on YouTube in a day.
In that video, Potapenko named four blows to the Russian economy: an embargo imposed to redistribute the market under “specific companies that stuck to government officials”, exorbitant lending rates, the destruction of products, and the Platon system, which the businessman calls a tax Rotenberg. “Now the dialogue between government and business is a dialogue between a butcher and a cow. An affectionate look, a knife under the throat and the question: “What do we have today, milk or beef?”, ”said the businessman.
Expert career, videos, quotes
In his career there is a place for journalism, work as an expert on radio and TV. Potapenko wrote articles for "Elephant", "The Secret of the Firm", hosted the author's programs "Hour of an Entrepreneur" and "Cash Transfer" on City FM, "Potapenko's Course" on Ekho Moskvy, "Business and a little personal" on Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda. As an expert, Dmitry Potapenko is a frequent guest in economic news, many media outlets turn to him for comments.
Dmitry Potapenko constantly uploads videos on YouTube, and they are gaining tens and hundreds of thousands of views. In his videos, Potapenko discusses business problems and Russian economy, he is known for harsh remarks about the government.
For example, he argued: “There is no justice and never will be. The industry will not develop. Tomorrow will be even worse. The authorities will be the same. We can say that a permanent stabilizer has come - the stability of sliding.
“It's time to legalize the already existing two Russias. One is pro-government, the second is all the rest. And in order to coincide de jure and de facto, a wall must be erected on the border of Moscow so that the "smerds" do not enter the capital and do not spoil the view of the walking "boyars". In the Forbes ranking of the top 500 companies, private enterprises are no longer there. Either state or quasi-state. Approximately 4-5 million people are associated with them, especially close to the emperor. It turns out, 5 million people against 140 million,” Potapenko said in an interview with SP.
“It is often claimed that Russia has low taxes, which makes me mad. They say on TV that taxes are only 13%. But in fact - 43% minimum, because every salary is paid insurance premiums. Today they make up 30%. 43% of each salary - this is the amount paid by the employer as a tax agent. Also, entrepreneurs are charged additional penalties for actually spent taxes. And this is a mass phenomenon, ”Potapenko noted in an interview with SP in 2017.
Dmitry Potapenko spoke about how the “fateful” programs of the Medvedev government affected the economy, the lives of Russians, that 47% of the population survives thanks to the garden, about the prime minister’s promise to push the “horizon of global competitiveness and national security” by 2024, that the authorities are deceiving the people , referring to external threats that allegedly hinder the development of the country, the causes of the crisis must be sought within, among the elite engaged in plundering Russia.
Criticizing the pension reform, Potapenko said: “I propose to promise voters a million dollar pension. Only add small print: “upon reaching 120 years of age”. And in general, you will never lie, because someone will definitely receive this pension. Speaking seriously about the retirement age, there is a bargaining going on: a protest or a near-protest? A normal protest - it arose, and everyone went out into the street. And when we say “you know, we thought here, we will probably protest” ...
Dmitry Potapenko- not just charismatic Russian entrepreneur, in recent years he has grown into a politician, known for his sharp criticism of the economic policy of the state. Also Dmitry Potapenko became known for bringing to light those who are behind such a phenomenon as , which our hero quite rightly considers an illegal mechanism for taking away real estate from the townspeople.
Dmitry Potapenko, not being the creator of really large retail chains for the mass sector, is known as a kind of consulting guru in the development of this area of domestic business and as an interesting speaker, a bright public figure loved by the press.
Biography of a charismatic businessman Dmitry Potapenko
The trading networks led by the hero of our story feel quite confident even amid the storms of the crisis and sanctions, but the largest networks that he led in the past are still not his property, states our business news portal.
Potapenko Dmitry
Industry - Trade, retail
Company - Management Development Group Inc.
Position - managing partner
Place of birth - Moscow
Dmitry Potapenko- Managing Partner of Management Development Group Inc, this charismatic businessman is known for his harsh words. For example, at an industry conference of retailers, he said: "Each of you will be offered to" sit on the track "as soon as the business becomes interesting to any particular kid in uniform" (see the full text of the speech). In an interview, our speaker also honestly admits that he does not eat in the establishments he owns and does not buy products in his stores: "If you start adding an emotional component, you stop seeing the nuances," explains Mr. Potapenko.
In the 1990s, Dmitry Potapenko was a security guard for a year and a half, guarding the president of the Russian Credit Bank. Dmitry Potapenko founded his first trading network in 1992 with Natashkyang Korotia Systems - these were Tusar electronics stores.
Career Dmitry Potapenko
1995-2000 Dmitry Potapenko- Vice President of Sales and Marketing of Grundic GmbH in the Baltic States
1998-2001 Dmitry Potapenko - General Director of OJSC "MEZ DSP", Vice President for Investment Development of PBK "CreditImpexBank"
2001-2003 Dmitry Potapenko- Deputy Managing Director of the Logos group of companies, General Director of Wholesale Centers LLC
2003-2005 - Manager of the sales network "Pyaterochka" (Moscow and Moscow region)
2005 - present temp. - Managing Partner of Management Development Group Inc.
Education Dmitry Potapenko
Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering and Automation, MBA (Economics)
BABT at the Ministry of Economic Development, MBA (Business & Economic Option) California State University (Hay Ward)
And that's what Dmitry Potapenko writes about himself:
Native Muscovite in the 4th generation, of which there are no more in Moscow ... I studied a lot and still study .... MBA, California Heyward State University, Economic Option MBA, Economics, VAVT under the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade
Certificate of the Moscow Regional Audit Chamber, " International Standards accounting and reporting» IAS/GAAP
Certificate of the center "Det Norske Veritas", " Internal audit quality systems". ISO standards 9000:2000, Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering, Electronics and Automation; Diploma "Engineer-designer-technologist".
Business proposals of Dmitry Potapenko
How to spend my money... I'll decide for myself... no need to write or call...
Worked. A lot of. And I will work. For life is work ... every time on a different one. Rest is the same work. Unless, of course, you do it professionally.
Grundig. "Pyaterochka", "Carousel", "Skhodnya-Mebel", GC "Logos", etc.
Now he is the founder and managing partner of Management Development Group Inc. www.7MD.EU Further, like an official summary, so as not to explain: “What did you do “Before now”?” Pyaterochka, Karusel, Retail chain
CEO COMPANY. Network Manager for the Central Federal District. Supermarket chain with more than 150 objects. Retail, Development
What did he do? Operational management and development of the Pyaterochka network in Moscow and the Moscow Region, in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region
Development of business processes and procedures for the Karusel hypermarket
Launch of the Karusel hypermarket
Work with the Mayor’s Office, Prefectures and Administrations of Moscow, the Government of Moscow and the Moscow Region, the Administration of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region
Search and purchase of objects and land plots for construction and rent
Preparation of company documents and access to IPO
Creation of construction projects and their coordination in the Civil Defense and Epidemiological Service, Sanepidnadzor, the Consumer Market Administration, GLAVAPU.
External architectural solutions and advertising companies
Creation shopping malls with a single concept
Creation of layouts and calculations.
Planning and control of the work of merchandising companies.
Sales and pricing policy
Financial flow management
Credit policy, attracting investment resources from the Government of Moscow and the Moscow Region, international investment banks and companies
Preparing a company for an IPO
Organization and control, work of companies in the field of procurement, sales, logistics, warehouse complex, 10,000 people.
GC "Logos", LLC "Wholesale Sales Centers"
Deputy Managing Director of the Group of Companies, General Director of the company. A group of companies from 7 directions of wholesale and retail channels in Moscow and the CIS for the sale of printed materials. Dealer and wholesale deliveries to the regions.
What did he do?
Management, development and restructuring of the holding.
Tax minimization.
Organization and control over the work of companies in the field of procurement, sales, logistics of the warehouse complex, 2500 people.
Analysis of financial and economic activity companies, $10 million/month
Planning new activities
JSC "MEZ DSP and D", PKB "CreditImpexBank"
CEO. Vice President for Investment Development. One of largest factories in Europe for the production of chipboard and furniture parts. Related productions. Woodworking technologies, building materials.
What did he do?
Restructuring of enterprises and anti-crisis management.
Business development programs in cooperation with PKB "CreditImpexBank".
Holding project management.
Tax minimization.
Optimization customs procedures, credit and leasing relationships;
Creation of a system for adapting the company to fiscal audits.
Management of financial flows;
Managing a team of 2500 people;
Creation of a management team according to Myers Briks typology.
Conducting equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions of companies.
Optimization of business and business processes according to ISO 9000:2000 and IAS/GAAP;
Corporate development directions.
Reengineering of the holding divisions.
Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Moscow office of the American corporation Manhatan Ind. Corp. Exclusive manufacturer of goods under trademarks: Grundig, AKAI Ind, Sankyong Chemical.
What did he do?
Strategic and operational planning and management;
Creation marketing strategy, setting the location of the product.
Marketing research; market segmentation;
positioning of the company;
Pricing strategy of the company, promotion of TM.
Monitoring and managing logistics operations.
Tax minimization.
Organization of wholesale and retail trading operations company ($120 million/year turnover).
Creation of client networks and service networks in Moscow and regions.
Placement of orders for production at factories in South Korea, China, USA, Germany
Development and analysis of investment projects.
Development of new products and services;
Tax minimization.
Internal training programs
Management of information and analytical flows
Dmitry Potapenko, businessman: “Before the crisis, entrepreneurs did not work, but were just bars”Comments: 110
Businessmen groan under the yoke of the crisis. What do entrepreneurs have to sacrifice?
Will the new Trade Law lower food prices? Who took advantage economic problems to redistribute property? About this and much more in an interview with the former CEO of the Pyaterochka retail chain Dmitry Potapenko, managing partner of Management Development Group Inc., which includes a dozen retail chains, restaurants and manufacturing enterprises with a total turnover of more than $140 million per year.
FIVE FLIGHTS PER WEEK
The interview took place on the field. At 10.30 Dmitry Potapenko arrived from Perm at the Kazansky railway station. We agreed to meet at the neighboring one - Leningradsky - at the monument to Lenin. The businessman was going to transfer to the train to Tver.
Growth under a meter ninety, weight over 100 kilos. Dressed in a suede jacket and leather pants. The image is complemented by a short haircut. The police like to check the documents of such comrades at railway stations - well, what a millionaire! And not a single bag with him (to a bewildered question, he pulls out a bag with toothpaste and a brush from his jacket pocket: “I move light”).
What are you, Dmitry, gathered in Tver on an electric train - a crisis?
It's like saying: Muscovites take the subway because of the crisis. Although normal people usually travel in the transport that is convenient.
- “Normal”, maybe they actually drive whatever they have to. But I have never seen businessmen with a multimillion-dollar fortune in trains ...
Don't think of rich people as schizophrenics. Many of them buy groceries at Auchan and travel around Moscow by metro. Ninety percent of the office plankton that needs to be driven with a filthy broom from any job aspires to this fetish - the car, reverently says Potapenko rolling his eyes.
What, you don't have a car?
And not one - five. But the question is: why? If the conversation is about prestige, then we return to the thought of schizophrenia. On the other hand, imagine that you bought a Lamborghini. Live in a village where everyone has it. Attention, the question is: do you get rid of the fact that you got a Lamborghini?
No, if in this village it stands in every yard ...
Correctly. And it’s another matter if you get out onto a public road, and next to it are “sixes” and “eights” ... The person who believes that they are squirming in front of him in a Lamborghini is just a sucker. He has an inferiority complex. And I don't give a damn about all this. I can ride the subway too. - Potapenko pulls out a travel card for 60 trips from his shirt pocket. - I travel to Tver by train 2-3 times a month, when there is a meeting of the board of directors of one of the retail chains. Four or five flights per week. This is how I always work.
"WORKING WORKERS WANTED TO PUNCH MY FACE"
How did the crisis affect the work of your enterprises?
Demand collapsed. Sales in our retail chains fell by an average of 16%. We began to prepare for the crisis ahead of time, since last May. Since then, depending on the network and region, the staff has been reduced by 40%, the assortment - by 15 - 60%, the area of \u200b\u200bstores - by 5 - 40%. I had to deprive top managers of bonuses. This is still approximately 0.5% of the total turnover of networks. As a result, we not only did not lose money, but also significantly increased profits. And from November 1, we will cut another 10% of the staff. But in general, the current crisis does not terrify me.
Has it been scarier?
In 1998, I, a young dandy in a vest, headed the Skhodnya-Furniture factory. By that time, the employees of the enterprise had not been paid salaries for 8 months. And I need to set up production - in two months I fired almost 1.5 thousand employees.
Didn't they spit in your back?
Hard workers first of all wanted to fill the face. But it is difficult. In addition, I know what a person needs, I know how to resolve conflicts.
So what does a person need?
Money and job opportunities later. Bullying does not lead to good. Well, the man ate severance pay. And then what? A potential employer will say: “Why do I need this freak who didn’t work, but downloaded rights ?!” Getting a job will not be easy.
Why are the management of other retail chains now complaining about losses?
Because until recently sucks worked. They began to think with their heads only when the crisis came. Set goals, reduce costs for business processes. Before the crisis, many businesses had to show off in front of the women.
AVTOVAZ EMPLOYEES ARE NOT GUYED
It turns out strange. The crisis originated in America, and, judging by the rate of economic decline, it hit Russia first of all... Why?
Before the crisis began, Western guys played on our dead stock market. When they had their own problems, they said: "We went, the wives said - return the money home." And then it turned out that the Russian stock market does not exist. Yes, there is no crisis in Russia! If for 20 years we have not built a fucking economy, and everyone was engaged in "administration", then what do you want? Which of the statesmen was responsible for AvtoVAZ in the form in which it still exists? Nobody. And the grandmas are pumped into it colossal. And they will pump it in, because the enterprise is so-qi-al-but zna-chi-mine, - the businessman pronounces in syllables. - Employees of AvtoVAZ, of course, are not to blame for the fact that they produce such cars. Whoever is responsible for the automotive industry as a whole is to blame.
How will we get out of the crisis?
Through pseudo-nationalization.
What else is this?
Sometimes a negative image of some certain business. And then officials and security forces transfer this business to themselves or to the right people. The merchants will be left only with shells from small enterprises. Krupnyak will go to mayors, high officials or their associates - in a word, to the state.
You can't even call it corruption...
I will now tell you about corruption. The other day, the head of the Investigative Committee, Bastrykin, said that if officials are imprisoned at the current pace, then there will be no one to work. That is, he openly said: corruption cannot be overcome. I believe that it is impossible to fight corruption in this country. Corruption is the quintessence of power.
Citizens and businessmen in Russia do not break the law because they want to break it. But because the laws are deliberately written in such a way that you cannot help breaking them.
And surely you can't do without bribes?
Try opening a shop or restaurant. 33 regulatory bodies and about 600 by-laws are waiting for you. The point will work at best in 9, and usually in 14 months from the start of paperwork. During this time, it is necessary to pay the rent for the premises, the salary of employees. And the businessman will also be accused: why is he complaining - his business is still profitable ...
And what, unprofitable, or what? It's no secret that the trade markup on goods sometimes reaches 100%.
We earn so much to a fig that our pockets are bursting from income! - ironically Potapenko. - Although if you read the reports of the largest retailers, verified foreign companies, then we will see: net profit does not exceed 1.5 - 2%.
You don't pick up. - I point to the expensive watch on Potapenko's hand.
The main part of my business is grocery stores and inexpensive restaurants like canteens. I earn not on the margin, but on the number of customers served.
THE LAW "ON TRADE" PUSHES TO CRIME
Officials, together with senators and deputies of the State Duma, are promoting new law"On Trade". Will the document reduce the level of prices in stores?
The main innovation: the law introduces one more controlling organization - the Federal Antimonopoly Service. When in America fuel prices jumped after oil prices, in Russia a liter of gasoline cost 20 rubles as it is. The Federal Antimonopoly Service carried out inspections and issued fines. What, the price of gasoline fell?
There is an interesting point in the law. When entering the trading network, the manufacturer will not get 15 bonuses, as it is now, but only one. Prices should go down.
They won't. The manufacturer simply will not be included in the trading network. Imagine a situation. You are a merchant. 70 manufacturers with a product line of 100 items each claim to be on a twenty-meter shelf. A total of seven thousand positions. And you need to choose only 60 of them. How will you personally solve this problem?
I'll take the brands that are well known, - I express the first consideration that came to mind.
Don't know...
The current bonuses are the auction rate. Whoever paid the most from the manufacturers, he made his way to the store shelf. Money officially passed through accounts, taxed. Now they say: "No, guys, this is wrong." Yes, no question - payments will go into the shadows.
That is, the problem will be solved by a bribe to the merchant?
How else? Man produces socks, bicycles or milk. The product is similar to what is already on the market. What to do? The manufacturer himself will get the money out of his pocket, but it will be a bribe.
What to do?
The problem must be approached from a different angle. Quantity production capacity in the world is 150 times more than what is needed for consumption. There is a crisis of overproduction. Only in France, for example, the state does not fight with networks, but pays extra to producers so that they do not produce too much. In this case, everything is not for nothing. And we do the exact opposite. We are raising import duties, “protecting the domestic commodity producer”, twisting the arms of retail chains...
IN RUSSIA THERE IS NO COMPETITION FOR THE PLACE OF THE LOADER
In Europe, prices are falling, but here they are rising ...
Grow due to increased costs. Let me remind you that at the beginning of 2009, each of us - let's say, "a simple person" - silently swallowed a 30% rise in the price of a "communal apartment". Naturally, this affected the costs of the entire business.
Until recently, the low wages of Russians were called ours. competitive advantage before the West...
Look at the ads - Muscovites want salaries from 1000 euros. But even in Europe, the normal salary is more modest. For example, an average Bulgarian or Czech earns about 400 euros. In retail and restaurant business guest workers work all over the world. In the French “Simple” (“Auchan” network), Vietnamese are sitting at the checkout, who at best know a few phrases in French. Mexicans work at the Wal-Mart checkout in America. And we say: it is impossible for the loader to be a Tajik. But we have no competition for the place of the loader.
Well, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the people have actually lost the habit of hard work, but in the regions?
In Tver, where we are going, all quotas for foreigners have been reset, that is, I cannot hire them. Previously, Uzbeks worked for me for 8 thousand, and they worked ra-bo-ta-li, - Potapenko minted in syllables. - Now Tverichans do not work for 14 thousand. They know that they are irreplaceable, and just sour.
The lowest positions should be occupied by people without education, with low needs, but by no means by local citizens. This is an international trend. Replacing the Soviet word "limitchik" with "guest worker" did not solve the problem. Then they recruited according to the limit, and now there should be a limit. Citizens will not go to the janitors.
How big is the role of chain stores in trade?
Networks are not the main channel for bringing products to the buyer. At least 15,000 registered in Moscow retail outlets. Various formats: tents, chain stores, something else. Only 75 chains operate in Moscow and the Moscow region - no more than 800 stores. So, 800 stores against 17 thousand. Question: if I'm a manufacturer, what the hell am I doing in the network if there are a huge number of free points?
For 99.9% of production managers, the word "sales" is associated with the Soviet habit with the State Planning Commission. They do not understand that when you produce goods on an industrial scale, the first task is not production, but marketing. It is the backbone of the economy all over the world. But it doesn't work for us. Our product is not available in any country in the world. And not because it is not allowed there, but because it costs three times more than its analogues.
You yourself are a manufacturer, why don't you solve this problem at least for yourself?
I have two factories in different cities. But at the same time, I really understand what I produce goods from. And everything is made from it. When someone starts yelling: “I am a domestic manufacturer!” - I propose to prove this without populism and politics. What equipment do you use? Somehow imported. Work force whose? Tajiks. Information Technology also not Russian. Ingredients are also often imported from abroad. It's like calling a BMW assembled in Russia a domestic car. The same applies to our entire economy as a whole.
Dmitry Potapenko- World Karate Champion. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he worked as an orderly in a mortuary, a security guard in a casino, and a bodyguard for the president of Russian Credit Bank. At the age of 25, he became the youngest vice president at Grundig in the CIS and Baltic countries. Former director of the Pyaterochka and Karusel retail chains, the Skhodnya-Mebel factory and other enterprises.
What is Dmitry Potapenko's Business - Management Development Group Inc.
Now he is a managing partner of Management Development Group Inc., which includes the retail chains ProdECO and Gastronomchik, the restaurant chain Restoranchik and other enterprises. The fleet has Mitsubishi Pajero, Lexus and Kia Rio. Married, has two daughters.
Potapenko Dmitry Valerievich:
At the age of 25, Dmitry became the youngest vice president at Grundig in the CIS and Baltic countries. Former director of the Pyaterochka and Karusel retail chains, the Skhodnya-Mebel factory and other enterprises.
Now he is a managing partner of Management Development Group Inc., which includes the retail chains ProdECO and Gastronomchik, the restaurant chain Restoranchik and other enterprises.
The staff size is 7500 people.
Management Development Group Inc.- European company of operational management. Management and support of businesses: Retail food chains ProdECO, Gastronomchik, Marka, Tverskoy Produkt, Ekonomika, Orange, 4 Seasons, Kitchens of Russia. Southern Federal District, Central Federal District and Ural Federal District. Delicious Bulgaria. «Levner» Czech Republic
Retail DIY chains: "Parade of Planets", "HozMag", "Kangaroo" Ivanovo.
Chains of canteens and cafes "Restoranchik. Real meat”, “Restaurant. Real fish”, “Pizza Uno”, Construction workshop ECOnomStroy, Design Bureau “ArtPraga”. Turnover of the Group of Companies in 2013 367 million US dollars.
The annual turnover of 367 million dollars is impressive, especially when you consider that Potapenko is a host of programs at several radio stations, a frequent guest on television, and conducts master classes and seminars. To run a business with a turnover of a third of a billion dollars, and even manage to do such a volume of public work - this undoubtedly deserves respect.
We go to the website of Management Development Group Inc. The first thing that surprised me was that language switching does not work on the site, only the Russian version is available, Czech and English, they are provided, but do not work, it is strange for a company with a head office in the center of Europe, but oh well, let's look further
The Management Development Group positions itself as a company that is engaged in external operational management and the creation of a business on the technical order of an investor. And below is a listing of objects under management, the logos of these companies are located on the right side of the main page - "Gastronomchik", "Restaurant", etc.
True, in an interview in 2009, he says, "Good afternoon, dear colleagues. I'm Dmitry Potapenko. Who doesn't know - the owner of 12 retail, a couple of restaurant chains, well, and other garbage on trifles" this negligence, of course, captivates, is it a joke? - either 2 restaurant chains, or 4, and even enough garbage, well, 367 million dollars turnover, who will keep track of what is owned, not to mention logistics.
Here, of course, the question arises of Potapenko, the owner of networks or the owner of a network management company? Or are they different projects?
Let's see what brands are managed by the Management Development Group, unfortunately, it will not work to go from the main site, since the links do not work, you will have to google, I will not attach screenshots of the search results so as not to inflate an already voluminous post, who doubts can search for the names of companies.
"ArtPraga architectural bureau", the logo actually says an architectural workshop, let's see both options - hmm, strange, there are no coincidences, it is mentioned only on the MDG website, neither the official website, nor any other mentions.
"Restoranchik, real meat" no website, no address where you can go to dinner, no reviews of restaurant critics - it is mentioned only in an interview with Potapenko himself.
"Restaurant, real fish" is the same story as with real meat, there is nothing on the net, not a single photo.
"EconomStroy" there are a lot of results for such a query, the logos do not match even once, it is impossible to determine whether it is Ekonomstroy or not.
"ProdEco" is a bit of a coincidence - the Czech coal company is unlikely, Potapenko did not mention assets in the mining industry. Company from Sverdlovsk region, with a similar type of activity "creation of retail enterprises", an office in Vyshny Pyshma, the spelling of the name is different ProDeCo, completed projects do not intersect. There is a mention of a Prodeco store in Shchekino, it is reported that the Prodeco brand belongs to the Ecoritele company, which in turn is part of the holding of one of the largest chemical enterprises UCC Shchekinoazot.
Portal Wallmart.ru - only the main page works, the last and only update on May 28, 2015, places under advertising banners, are busy advertising the portal itself, links to sections either do not work or lead back to the main one.
There are many "Gastronomchik" stores with this name, the logo from the site does not intersect, the name matches http://gastronomchik.rf/, a grocery chain, the convenience store format 2 in the city of Essentuki and 1 in Budennovsk.
This gives a turnover of 367 million dollars?
Google also does not know about the network "Levner" Czech Republic, about "Vkusno" in Bulgaria - no sites, no addresses, no mentions. Knows only the address where Chech Republik 130 00 Praga 3, Blodkova 1280/8 is registered. Somehow, from a company with a turnover of 367 million and a staff of 7,500 employees, you expect a little different, but on the other hand, why these high costs.
True, new data has recently appeared, in an interview on December 10, 2015, Potapenko answers a question from a journalist
In the course of your debate, you said that you work, including abroad. At the same time they criticized Russian conditions and praised conditions in the West. What is the format of your business there?
Remained about the same. Production, a small carpet factory, a small network of canteens, not a very large retail. All this adds up to about 25 million euros in annual turnover, no more.
That is, already 25 million, and 367 was - is it overestimated? Or fell from 367 to 25 in 2 years? 25 is it only in Europe?
I spent several hours searching for information, but there was no answer to the question of who Mr. Potapenko was. What kind of businesses does he have in the Czech Republic, Belgium, China, Russia that give such a turnover?
Without this, it is impossible to understand what problems with logistics are experienced by his enterprises.
I don't question talent business qualities Dmitry Valeryevich, times are difficult, but where can you see the fruits of his business activity? Why was the tactic of closing information about the business chosen, given the media openness of the owner himself?
The transfer of Oleg Tinkov "Business Secrets" to RBC in 2012, including the Czech company Management Development Group, Dmitry confirms the staff of 7,500 people and that he is the owner of this company.
An article by Sergey Stepanov on the Ardexpert portal, information is provided from an open database on Czech enterprises:
- This register includes the company Management Development Group Inc. s.r.o.
- Founders - Dmitry Potapenko and, apparently, his parents.
- According to the website explanatory note there are NO employees at all in the company - only the director-secretary, who is Mr. Potapenko.
- The company has no revenue, at least it follows from the balance sheet for 2013. For the year 2104 there is no balance in the system yet.
businessman with three higher education, an MBA certificate and DNV GL Group became famous for his sharp criticism of the country's economic policy. After his spontaneous speech in December 2015 at an economic forum in the capital and a heated discussion with Vladimir Gutenev, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Industry, he gained a reputation as a person who knows how to tell the truth, regardless of positions and faces. However, a number of representatives of the business community are critical of him, calling him a multi-machine operator and a cross between the “great schemer” Ostap Bender and the owner of deceptive charm Ivan Khlestakov.
Childhood and family of Dmitry Potapenko
The future charismatic businessman was born on March 30, 1970 in Moscow and, according to him, became the son of two colonels of the Main Intelligence Directorate. 
At school, he took part in public life with pleasure, was a Komsomol activist and a member of many circles. In particular, he was engaged in karate and even twice became a champion in this species martial arts.
It should be noted that this fact, as well as some others, is questioned. His biography is often too reminiscent of an adventure novel. Retelling her in an interview, Dmitry noted that she surprised him with her richness and improbability of events.
In elementary school, he studied well, but, having matured, he allegedly lost motivation and cognitive interest in the process of gaining knowledge. Nevertheless, having received a secondary education, the young man entered a serious university - the Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering, Electronics and Automation.
From the age of 19, he began to live separately from his parents and, as a student, managed to change a number of exotic professions - he worked as an orderly at the morgue and in a psychiatric hospital, led the closed gambling establishment of the criminal authority Otari Kvantrishvili, was the personal bodyguard of the oligarch Vitaly Malkin.
Career Dmitry Potapenko
He gained his first commercial experience as a teenager, reselling chewing gum to his peers. In his student years, he already sold various audio, video and computer equipment at Gorbushka, and in 1989 he founded Black Bars CJSC.In 1992, in partnership with Natashkyang Korotia Systems, one of the first companies to import electronics to Russia, he brought to life his first project, the Tusar chain of electronics stores. In 1993, Dmitry defended his degree in engineering and since 1995, for five years, he worked in the emerging domestic market of the Grundig company, initially holding the position of Leading Manager, later - Deputy President.
In the period 1998-2001. the young man was the general director of a wood-based materials plant in the Podrezkovo microdistrict, which controlled territorially 40 thousand hectares, and set up the production and export of competitive chipboard. At the same time, he held the post of Deputy Head for Investment Cooperation at CB Creditimpex Bank.
In 2001, Dmitry Valerievich became the deputy head of the Logos companies operating in the periodical distribution market, and also became the head of the Wholesale Centers society. In 2003-2005, after repeated invitations from Andrey Rogachev, one of the founders of Pyaterochka, he headed the St. Petersburg and Moscow offices of the trading network.
In 2005, the entrepreneur took one of the most important positions in the Management Development Group, which determines the overall business success - the managing partner. He carried out the development of retail chains, planning, organizing and stimulating work with an assessment of the result obtained and the definition of current trends.
Personal life of Dmitry Potapenko
A successful retail practitioner is married. His wife Elena worked as a lawyer for ten years, dealing with the bankruptcy of firms. In order to increase professional competence she also received an economic education, and after marriage - also a degree in psychology, making her childhood dream come true. As a result, she became the general director of the MAXIMUM training center, which offers programs personal development improving the quality and standard of living. In addition, she is the founder of the discussion club "Perevzglyad". 
The couple raised two daughters. The eldest of them, Maria Gracheva, according to her father, was the winner of almost all the country's physics and mathematics Olympiads. After graduating from school, she was accepted to the physics department of Moscow State University without exams. To create comfortable starting conditions, her parents gave her an apartment. The youngest - Natasha Potapenko - studied at the Lyceum of Information Technologies.
The businessman leads a relatively modest lifestyle, loves to spend free time with his family, loves his wife's signature dish - duck, regularly visits the gym and says that he is prosaic about expensive things, although he has an impressive fleet of vehicles: Gelandewagen SUV, Lexus, Mitsubishi Pajero, Kia Rio, and Elena's Nissan Juke crossover.
Dmitry Potapenko today
The main part of the domestic consulting guru's business this moment are grocery stores and cheap restaurants. It combines its main managerial functions with master classes and consultations on effective management, hosts a number of author's programs on the radio, is a frequent guest on television.Dmitry Valeryevich Potapenko became famous thanks to criticism of the authorities and recommendations on doing business. Behind him great experience Since his work in retail, he currently runs a company specializing in the management of online retail objects, writes books, hosts author's programs on the radio, uploads videos on YouTube.
- FULL NAME: Potapenko Dmitry Valerievich.
- Date of Birth: March 30, 1970 (aged 48)
- Education: Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering, Electronics and Automation.
- Business Start Date/Age: 1992 / 22 years old.
- Job title: Managing Partner of Management Development Group Inc.
- Social networks: https://www.instagram.com/potapenkodmitry/.
Mr. Potapenko is a figure that draws attention to himself and does it quite consciously. He does not miss the opportunity to criticize the existing government, laws Russian Federation and the entire system of the modern Russian economy, in which the place of private business is, to put it mildly, unenviable. At the same time, Dmitry Valeryevich promises to teach how to create a business in such unprofitable realities. From this we can conclude that, contrary to his loud and often contradictory statements, Dmitry Potapenko's business is, among other things, also business consulting.
Biography facts
According to Dmitry Valeryevich himself, he is a native Muscovite in the fourth generation. Indeed, he was born in an ordinary Moscow family. After school, he entered the Moscow Institute of Radio Engineering, Electronics and Automation, where, after graduating in 1993, he received a diploma in process engineering.
In his student years, he launched a stormy trading activity- sold musical and other equipment at the famous Moscow Gorbushka. This was his first entrepreneurial experience. In some sources, there is a mention of the first business organized by him in 1992, that is, while still a student. And it was, apparently, a large-scale project - commercial network Tusar stores specializing in the sale of electronic equipment. However, there is no mention of this activity on the official website of Dmitry Potapenko.
entrepreneurial path
In general, it is a very difficult task to know for sure the entire entrepreneurial path of this figure. Reliable information in open sources is negligible. Dmitry Valeryevich himself, in interviews from different periods, refers to his rich experience in business, but without specifics.
Structurally, Potapenko's entrepreneurial path can be described as follows:
The entrepreneur is actively developing in the retail industry, initially specializing in technology, and then moving into grocery chains.
From 1995 to 2000, Potapenko makes a career in a well-known German manufacturing company household appliances Grundig, in 5 years has grown from senior manager to vice president of marketing in the Baltics.
Then Dmitry had a short banking episode in the early 2000s, when he tried himself as vice president for investment development at CreditImpexBank.
And in 2003, the businessman returned to retail again, but already in grocery, becoming the head of the Pyaterochka distribution network in the Moscow region. There he worked for 2 years, gaining considerable experience.
Finally, in 2005, Potapenko became the managing partner of the European company Management Development Group Inc., whose activities, however, seem to be very vague. The official website refers to the main brands of this group of companies, but no links, or at least brief information on the nature of their activities does not contain. According to the entrepreneur himself, understanding the theory and practice of sales, he deals exclusively network projects with a specialization well known to him.
These are grocery chains in the format of an inexpensive convenience store, eateries and cafes designed for an undemanding client, the production of semi-finished products, as well as building materials.
Political career
The wide popularity of Dmitry Potapenko as an ardent critic of the authorities, who is not afraid of loud accusatory statements, began with the Moscow Economic Forum in 2015. Then he entered into an open confrontation with State Duma deputy Vladimir Gutenev and criticized a number of economic decisions from the government of the country.
Many bloggers still like to quote his statement, which has become winged:
“The dialogue between business and government has been going on for the past 20 years like a dialogue between a butcher and a cow, affectionately looking into their eyes and holding a knife under their throats with the question: what do we have today - beef or milk?”
After that, the businessman continued to shock the public and journalists with statements in his direct and unsophisticated manner. They are already afraid to invite him to serious and large-scale forums, but in the regions they are delighted with this speaker. Representatives of small businesses willingly purchase tickets for his master classes, where he teaches how to establish retail networks, create customer bases, how to build working systems in business, and much more.
Seeing the wide resonance of his statements in the public environment, Dmitry Potapenko decided to go into politics.
In his own words, this step became a challenge for him and an opportunity to figure out whether it is possible to change anything in the country's political system at all.
“It would be foolish to talk about the worthlessness of the authorities without trying to change anything yourself. My life experience is practice and result, I don’t know how to work otherwise.”
The newly minted politician spoke about the confidence that he would get into the Duma, because he had everything for this: a store of knowledge, skills and people's support. His goal was to get into the system and change its principles of operation.
In 2016, the businessman ran for the State Duma from the Kaliningrad constituency as a member of the Party of Growth. The results of these elections did not allow Potapenko to change the political system, since he did not overcome the percentage to pass the barrier.
Journalistic activity
But the journalistic consulting activity Dmitry Valeryevich after the historic December forum went uphill. Many journalists seized the opportunity to irritate the authorities and began vying to call Potapenko for interviews, which he gives willingly and rarely hesitates in expressions.
This practice even resulted in the author's program on the Ekho Moskvy radio. It is called "Potapenko's Course". The businessman has also got used to the Internet media quite well and is happy to comment on the news of the business environment in his own Slon Magazine column of the media holding, also known on the Dozhd TV channel.
All this activity inspired Potapenko to write books that are largely based on his speeches and master classes for aspiring entrepreneurs. In 2016, The Honest Book on How to Do Business in Russia was released. A year later, Dmitry Potapenko presented a new creation to the readers - "Business is verbs and nouns that end in numbers."
One of the videos of the program "As a matter of fact", in which Dmitry participates
